Soldier
by AlloraSilverfield
Summary: Before the modern world, pokemon and people had still existed together. When the world receives a shock, and a hero must step up, Vega Garcia is more than ready to take the challenge. But these are medieval times, and women aren't heroes. Follow Vega on a journey 1000 years ago as she overcomes all odds to unite a people, and prove that she can be a soldier.
1. Rudan

** A note from the author:

Hi there! It's me, Allora. Many of you know me from my story Allora Silverfield. If not, check it out! If so, welcome back. I decided to write this story because, once again, of a dream that I had. There are a few things that you need to know to set the scene for this story. First of all, it is set about 1000 years in the past. That's right, no PC's, no pokeballs, no technology. The people in this time period use different colored "crystals" to capture pokemon. Imagine a stone, bland, but when capturing a pokemon, it absorbs it just like a pokeball, and when it is full it glows. These crystals have varying strengths based on color.

This story is set assuming that any pokemon revealed in X and Y in the months do come do not exist, and all typing and abilities will be based on previous guidelines.

In this world, there are many different religions, each based on a pokemon type. Some types do not have a religion, and they are based on the most common pokemon groups: fire, water, grass, electricity, dragon, flying, psychic, rock, and normal. (No bug, fighting, ghost, ground, ice, poison, or steel.) The thing about these religions is that nearly everyone is of the "normal" religion. They believe in coexistence. But there are smaller sects that worship the other types, and these sects believe that their chosen type is superior, and all pokemon that expose the weaknesses of that type should be eliminated.

There is a queen, a monarchy, in this story. The queen is of the normal religion, and everything has been running smoothly.

So far. **

"Choke ma mach."

"Queeeeen. Nidoqueen, nido do doqueen."

""Come on guys, we're almost done, and then you can have your lunch," Vega groaned. The two pokemon groaned, and pushed harder than ever. It only took a few more minutes, but finally they were finished plowing the far side of the field.

They collapsed in the neighboring grasses after they had completed the chore. The sun beat down on them, but still being early in the spring, it wasn't quite powerful enough to bake them, though it did do a good job of drying their sweat.

There couldn't have been a better day for work outside. A cold breeze blew in from the mountains to the west, but in the sunlight it was just warm enough to be comfortable. Hard work worked the sweat glands, but the cold wind kept them cool. It wasn't long before the trio was rested enough to make the trek back to the farm house.

Twenty minutes and 30 acres later, the house was in view. Vega broke into a run, her stomach motivating her to sprint the remaining distance, towards the lunch waiting for her. The machoke took it as a game, and easily overtook her with his muscular legs. The nidoqueen wasn't as quick, but she kept up with Vega, though the young girl did slow down slightly, enjoying running with her parent's pokemon.

Her stomach wasn't the only reason the teen was so eager to get home. It just happened to be her 17th birthday, and in the Rudan Region, that was the day that girls were allowed to leave the house, and begin their own life. That was the day that Vega would have to go out and capture her own pokemon.

Of course, she had her own high expectations of what kind of pokemon she would get. Something that was a fire type, for sure, and while she wasn't a member of the Flaming Sect, she still enjoyed their energetic nature.

Or dragon type. They were really strong, with minimal weaknesses. Plus their Sect was the most just of all, aside from The Normalcy of course.

Though catching a pokemon aligned with a Sect didn't automatically require one to join, it did earn you favor with that Sect, if you ever came across them. Many members of The Normalcy, though believing in coexistence, still caught pokemon of only one or two types, to earn favor with the local Sects in their area.

Vega firmly believed that all pokemon were created equal, and none should be discriminated against. She didn't, however, believe that all Sects were created equal. Some were cruel, some were violent, and some were cowards. As part of The Normalcy, she was neutral, although the predominate Sect in the area which she lived was Fire, with a neighboring influence of the Stone Sect to the west, and the Flying Sect to the east.

The Flaming Sect was full of strong warlords, who believed in bravery and honor as the most valuable attributes that could be found in both people and pokemon. It was the fourth biggest Sect, overtaken by the Nature, Flying, and Wave Sects.

In school, the students were taught to imagine the Rudan Region as a triangle, with the Wave Sect, the Nature Sect, and the Flaming Sect at the three points. Slightly Southwest of the center of the triangle, was the queen's castle, and the surrounding lands were the focal point of The Normalcy.

The mountains extended North to South, creating the western border of the Rudan Region. The Stone Sect resided here, laying claim to the thin strip of mountains, save for the Northern tip, which belonged to the Drake Sect. The Flaming Sect resided in the Southwestern corner of the imaginary triangle, and extended farther south to take the very tip of the Stone Mountains, and the volcanic land surrounding. These volcanoes and lava fields were rumored to house the legendary pokemon that were worshipped by the Flaming- the phoenix Moltres and the great dog Entei.

What can be imagined as the bottom of the triangle was the Great Plain. The Flying Sect resided here, and their influence covered the entire base of the region. The flat, endless plain made for great updrafts and excellent flying weather. The legendary pokemon Rayquaza was said to keep the weather perfect for flying pokemon at all times of the year. The three legendary nature pokemon, Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus, when not causing natural disasters, were also said to live in the fluffy white clouds of the Great Plain.

The neighboring Nature Sect at the Southeastern corner covered some of the Great Plain, but it owed most of its overwhelming size to The Garden. The Garden was the giant forest in the Southeastern region that extended all the way to the Eastern Sea. The Nature Sect's infuence blanketed the entire forest, and their great temple was hidden deep in the woods, its location only known to true members of the Sect. Their legendary idols, Celebi and Shaymin, were not shy at all, and had been seen multiple times by eyewitnesses frolicking in the forest.

North of The Garden was more plains, but no flying type pokemon. This area was unofficially called the never-ending-storm. It didn't always rain there, but there was constant lightning and thunder, even on those rare days that the sun managed to come out. It is said that the legendary pokemon that the Lightning Sect worships reside in the area; the great thunderbird Zapdos and the plains-runner Raiku. Because electric type pokemon thrived in that climate, the Lightning Sect held tight to their influence in the region.

Just North of the never-endind-storm was the Mind Sect, whose area of influence had no name. The Mind Sect consisted of ancient ruins from the First People, and these ruins were spread across hills and jungles, and were the natural habitats of psychic pokemon. Monks silently walked the ruins daily, guarding them from... who knows? This was the smallest, and strangest Sect in the Rudan Region. The ancient pokemon Mew had never been seen, but was thought to flit through the trees in the jungle, and reside in the deepest chambers of their great temple.

And then there was the Gyra River, which sliced across the Northern Rudan Region in an almost perfectly straight line, balancing on the tip of the imaginary triangle. The Wave Sect had their great temple at the bottom of the river at what could be imagined as the tip of the triangle. Their influence extended only slightly South of the river, but reached far to the West and the East along the banks. In fact, their followers extended as far east as the Eastern Sea, and the islands near the coast. The water was said to be home to their legendary idols; the fresh water of the river home to Suicune the Wave Spirit, and the ocean to Kyogre, the beast of the sea.

The river even cut through the Stone Mountains to the West, and provided the decided border between the Drake and Stone Sects. Vega sighed, trying to picture the region as she opened the door to her house. It wasn't as complicated if you had lived there your whole life, but even then, it was easy to forget the borders.

Those belonging to The Normalicy lived in every single region of the Rudan, except for the Mind Sect, though there was no civilization there anyway. You weren't officially a member of a Sect unless you pledged and completed their initiation. As a member, you could receive benefits, whatever they might be, as well as live in the special housing, join their core, and much more. Those belonging to no Sect could still be given some benefits, such as protection, by doing things such as donate money and own pokemon of that Sect's typing.

Even owning pokemon of a compatible Sect was acceptable in most places. The Flaming Sect, for example, respected the Flying, Lightning, Drake, and Mind Sects. They were neutral to the Stone Sect (but then again, the Stone were pacifists, who were neutral to everyone.) The Flaming could not stand either the Wave or the Nature, and owning a water or grass pokemon in regions under Flaming influence was not socially acceptable. People still did it, don't doubt it, but they were not given the protection or any other benefits of sucking up to the Flaming.

The same went for the other Sects. Lightning didn't mind the Flaming, Nature, Drake, or Mind, but were at odds with the Flying and Wave, and though the Stone liked them, they were distrustful in return.

The Wave disliked the Flaming, Nature, and Lightning, and shared a mutual distrust with the Drake and Flying. They believed the Stone to be weak because of their insistent pacifism. The Wave was the most confrontational and problematic Sect, and were strong believers in loyalty and would hardly ever associate with others. The only group that they didn't seem to have a problem with was the Mind, and only because the Mind kept always to themselves and quarreled with none.

The Drake also never quarreled, prefering as well to keep to themselves in the mountains. They distrusted the Wave only because of their aggressiveness towards the others.

The Lightning and the Wave fought the most, with their issues being fought out usually in the inner lands just South of the Mind. These lands also neighbored the queen's castle, and often imperial soldiers had to intervene and prevent full fledged wars from breaking out.

But for ten or so years, the world had been quiet. No wars, no issues, and life had been good.

But good things do not always last, as the world was suddenly going to find out.

Shaking her history lessons from her mind, Vega sat down at the table, with her brothers and the pokemon, and stuffed herself.

"So are you excited?" asked her brother Jake through a mouthful of corn.

She grinned, chewed, swallowed, and answered. "You know it, weren't you on your Leaving Day?" she asked. He nodded, thoughtfully, remembering the past.

Boys were allowed to leave at the age of eleven, to make a life for themselves. Jake, now 19, had returned to them after several years of travel to help his parents with the farm. He had missed it, and realized that farming is the life for him.

Her brother Brad had done the same, and being 21, he was the first in line to inherit the farm from their father. They had brought back pokemon with them, and built both a stable and a second farm house, so they could continue to live there without inconveniencing their parents. Now the family made good money growing and selling berries and vegetables throughout the Rudan Region thanks to the extra help. They lived a comfortable life.

Vega had never enjoyed farm work. She hated it, honestly. She found it extremely boring. What she did enjoy was wrestling with her brother's tyrogue and boxing with his hitmonchan. Though she always lost and was scolded for fighting, she loved it. She knew she wanted to be in the queen's guard.

"But dear, don't you want to get married some day?" her mother had said when she told her.

"Well... yes... but-"

"Well then that's settled! Why don't you marry a soldier who can provide for you, and you can raise the children?"

"I don't want to raise children mom! I want to fight! To defend the Normalcy from rowdy Sects, to be in the-"

"That's enough!" She had slammed down her fists at that point, thwacking the table and rattling the glassware in the cabinets. "Women do not fight. Women cannot be in the army. Women have two roles, and it's time you chose between them."

Vega cringed. She knew the roles. As a women in Rudan, either you married and raised children, or swore a vow to serve a Sect, and became a religious priestess. The latter was worse, in Vega's mind. Not only were you forced to align with a Sect, but you were never to marry, and served the men in the Sect you had chosen. Of course, the advertised duties were cooking, cleaning, and running errands. The, well, sexual services were known by all, but never spoken about. It was the life of a concubine, dressed up in religious robes and hidden away in temples.

Since that discussion with her mother almost a year ago, Vega had kept quiet about wanting to be a soldier. But she hadn't forgotten, and her desire hadn't faded. Today, on her Leaving Day, after she had captured her first pokemon, they could not control her. Today was the day she had waited for her whole life.

Now if only she knew which pokemon she wanted.

**YES, I KNOW THIS CHAPTER IS A LOT OF SET UP INFORMATION. I know it is a lot of boring stuff, and I know I simply lay it all out there. But that is literally just because this is a set up chapter. This story is going to be very different from every other pokemon fanfic out there, so I figured that it was necessary for some pretty easy-to-follow background information. The rest of this story is not going to be like this, so please don't let this discourage you from continuing on. And I know all of you trolls out there who like to review stories just to tear them apart are going to have a field day with this, but believe it or not, many people like basic, easy-to-follow stories.

Thank you to those who enjoy this story no matter what the first chapter looks like!**


	2. Partner

"Now, make sure you take a pokemon with you when you go out. Um... the forest near the property line should have some decent starter pokemon." Her mom tossed a coat at her. "And throw that on, too. It's too chilly not to wear one."

"Mom, I'll be fine," Vega laughed.

"And just like tradition..." her oldest brother, Brad, stepped into the kitchen. He handed Vega a single red crystal. "Your First Crystal, for your first partner." Vega nodded, throat tightening up. This was really it.

She was suddenly pulled into a lung-crushing hug. "Just, be safe," her Mom began. Vega nodded into her smothering hair. They separated, smiling at each other. "Oh, and make sure it is something not too scary or dangerous," she said, turning around to face the window. "Something with a good motherly instinct. Maybe it will rub off on you!"

Vega rolled her eyes as she gathered her things. "Yeah yeah I got it Mom," she groaned.

"When you get back I'll have all of your travel supplies ready to go for the night!" Violet called after her daughter as she walked out the door. "I love you!"

Vega shut the front door after that, finally free of the grating sound that was her mother's voice. She breathed a sigh of relief and stepped down from the porch towards the mareep pen.

On her way, she stopped by the stables to see the rapidash, and the newest ponyta foal that had just been hatched. The little thing was only three days old, and just starting to get her feet under her body. Vega scratched her under the nose. "Ta tapon!" it whinnied, nuzzling closer to her hand.

"You're so precious," cooed Vega. "Bye now, I'll come back to visit before I leave!" The fire horse pokemon whinnied their goodbye's at her as she left.

She stopped at the taurus pen and the miltank field as well, before she finally reached the mareep. The electric type pokemon rolled around in the grass, wrestling with each other and nipping at each other's ears. Flaaffy were scattered throughout the pen, trying their best to make the smaller ones behave.

Vega stepped onto the fence and hitched her leg over, hauling herself onto the other side. She sidestepped a pair of mareep who were chasing each other across the pen, and squinted her eyes, searching, until she found what she was looking for.

A flaaffy with a green tail-bulb was scolding one mareep and comforting another at the same time. Vega approached the scene, grinning.

"Jade, what have they gotten into now?" she asked.

The flaaffy stopped what it was doing instantly, and leapt into Vega's arms. "Flaa flaaffy laa!" she squealed, licking the young girl's cheek.

"Yes, yes, I'm glad to see you too!" laughed Vega. She set the electric type down, shocking herself slightly on the statically charged wool. "I need your help, can you come with me?" she asked.

"Flaaffy!" cheered the shiny pokemon, and waddled towards the gate. Vega shook her head, and followed. Instead of opening the gate, she picked up Jade and plopped her over the fence onto the other side. The pokemon gave Vega a grumpy look.

Vega rolled her eyes. "You don't want one of them getting out and causing problems, do you?" she said, gesturing over to the rambunctious mareep. Jade nodded reluctantly. Vega hopped the fence again, and made her way to the forest line.

"I'm going to catch my own pokemon!" Vega explained excitedly to Jade. The flaaffy gave her a look. Vega backtracked: "I love you Jade, but you aren't really my pokemon! Besides, you can't come with me, you have a family to take care of."

Jade sighed heavily but nodded, her ears drooping slightly more as they treaded towards the trees. Vega smiled sadly and scooped her up, without much protest.

"Jade you will always be my first pokemon, whether we can adventure together or not," reassured Vega. "I raised you with Dad from an egg, I don't think you can belong to me much more than that!" She tickled her sides until she bleated, and set her back in the grass.

"Now, let's go find something cool!" cheered Vega!

"Flaaffy!" agreed Jade.

Turned out that finding something cool wasn't as easy as Vega had imagined. Two hours of trekking through the woods later, she hadn't seen a single pokemon that she deemed "awesome enough" to capture.

Giving up was not an option, however. "I can't give up," Vega muttered. "They'll never believe that I can do anything on my own if I can't do this!" The duo stomped off towards the creek once more, becoming more and more desperate.

The creek that flowed west to east had its beginnings in an underground lake beneath the volcanic mountain that capped off the Stone Mountains. The water was very warm, and full of minerals from the mountains it originated from. The bed of the creek was hard and smooth, formed from cooled lava rock and smoothened from thousands of years of erosion. The water was so clear, the bottom could be clearly seen, earning it the nickname "Ebony Creek."

The water in Ebony Creek was good to drink, but not fit for water pokemon, and no plants could root themselves in the rock covering the bottom. Instead, due to these phenomenons, the creek became a bathtub both for local pokemon and people. The clarity and warm temperature of the water attracted pokemon from miles around.

Vega had counted on this whilst she searched for her starter, but none of the pokemon she had found were quite good enough. Bug pokemon and wild ponyta, a couple of numel and bellsprout and oddish, but nothing extraordinary. And Vega would not settle for anything less.

She eventually decided to sit. Walking had tired both of them out, especially Jade who was not used to so much movement at one time. The flaaffy kneeled next to Vega and lapped up the water from Ebony Creek, dunking her face and ears to cool them off in the breeze.

Vega slipped off her shoes and put her feet in the water, then swung them up beside her on the bank, cooling them off in the wind. The sun cut through the canopy thanks to the creek, and it dried both of them off quickly. She dunked them again, enjoying the weather.

The second time, she swung her legs up on her right, and nearly fell in the water from surprise. Along the bank just in front of her, drinking the crystal clear water, was a vulpix.

She reached behind her and tapped Jade. The flaaffy glanced over towards where Vega gestured, and did a double take. She stomped up in front of her pseudo-trainer, and took a battle stance. The vulpix paid no attention, drinking still out of the creek.

"Flaa!" barked Jade, getting the fire type's attention. It glanced up, yawned, and went back to drinking.

"Ugh!" gaped Vega, scrambling to her feet. "Jade, use... uh, what moves do you know again?"

The flaaffy looked back at her incredulously, sighed, and turned back to the vulpix. She fired a small bolt of lightning from the tip of her green tail at the fire pokemon.

It was a direct hit. The vulpix was knocked to the side, and skid several feet through the grass. It stood up again, and crouched into a fighting stance. "Pix," it growled. The other pokemon bathing in the creek turned towards the battle, interested.

"Thundershock again!" Vega ordered, getting excited. Jade shot another zap at the vulpix, but it leapt to the side, dodging it. It shot a stream of fire out of its mouth, getting a glancing blow on Jade in her side.

"Fla!" she growled angrily, and charged the vulpix.

"No! Wait, what are u doing?" Vega cried. Jade tackled the vulpix in the side, carrying them both into the water.

"I didn't say to do that!" scolded Vega, running to the water's edge. Jade and the fire pokemon were circling each other in the shallow water, each waiting for the other to make a move.

Vega got an idea. "Use thundershock, the water will amplify its power!" Jade nodded, and planted her feet.

"Fee!" she cried, and released a lightning bolt into the water. The current amplified the attack, significantly damaging the vulpix. It began to back away from Jade, downstream.

"Oh no you don't, get ba-" Vega stopped, hearing commotion. The water had not only carried the amplified current to the vulpix, but also to all of the other pokemon enjoying their time in the creek. And the bathing pokemon were now on their feet, angrily stalking towards Vega.

"Oh no..." she whined, and began to stand. The vulpix took off running. "No!" The young trainer began to run after the fire pokemon, and the others took that as their cue to give chase.

Soon, Vega and Jade were no longer chasing the vulpix, they were running from the pack of angry wild pokemon.

Vega, still desperate for her prize, tossed a red crystal in the direction of the vulpix, and turned to climb a tree, helping Jade up the branches. She heard the distinct flashing sound of the crystal making the capture, and this gave her the last bit of motivation she needed to hoist herself up into the tree.

Just in time too. The angry fire, grass, and bug types passed right under their hiding spot, failing to notice Vega and her panting flaaffy.

The pair breathed a sigh of relief, and sat for a few minutes extra in the tree, making sure they were in the clear. Then, they worked their way down, and went to gather their prize.

"We did it!" she cheered, picking up the warm red crystal. "I did it," she said, softer. _All by myself._

"Alright, let's see you. Come out!" she said, grinning and holding the crystal in front of her. A flash of light, and her smile immediately faded.

"That's not... a vulpix?" she said, almost pleadingly. Ignoring what she saw in front of her, she desperately scanned the area, looking for any sign of the awesome pokemon she would have to start her journey.

But nothing. Sadly, Vega realized that she had wasted her First Crystal. Striking tears from her eyes, she stalked back over towards her new partner.

Jade was making great conversation with the first addition to Vega's new team. But the young trainer was not in any mood to think anything was cute. "Are you happy?" was the first thing she asked the pathetic pokemon before her.

It cowered down into the grass. "Pie..."

"Why didn't you break the crystal?" she demanded. "If you had done that, at least I could have gone back and told my family that the pokemon I had tried to get was too awesome and strong for me to capture, but no!" She jabbed her finger in the caterpie's face. "You're too weak to even break a crystal without having taken any damage!"

The bug pokemon shank lower into the grass, tears coming into its eyes. But there was no remorse from Vega. "Return," she snapped, and sent it back into the red crystal, making it warm.

Jade looked at Vega reproachfully. Thinking about it, she did start to feel bad, but she brushed it off. "It's that thing's fault, not mine," she said, shaking her head.

"Fla," Jade scolded, head butting her leg.

"Don't give me that!" she said, annoyed. "What do I do now? I can't show myself to my brothers with THIS!" She put her face in her hands. "Brad caught a houndour, and Jake caught a riolu! And I caught a caterpie?"

She leaned against a tree and closed her eyes, dreading the looks she would get when she got back home. The sun was setting fast, however, and the forest at night with a tired out flaaffy and a caterpie as her only protection was not a situation she wanted to be in. So, tired and disappointed, she began her walk back home.

The sun had just fallen behind the mountains when Vega broke the tree-line and was in sight of her house. As she made her way around the field, she saw someone light the torch next to the front door. Vega allowed herself a small smile; they wanted to make sure she found her way home. _Forever worred about me_, she thought.

She walked Jade back to the mareep pen and set

The reception she received when she opened the front door could not have been beat. "Welcome home!" her mother said, pulling her into another lung-crushing hug. The scent of a homemade dinner instantly relaxed her, and she hugged her mother back.

Finally, they separated. Her mother finally got a good look at her, and gasped. "Oh honey, you look dreadful!" She pushed her towards the basement stairs. "Go on downstairs and get cleaned up, hurry now before your dinner gets cold!"

Vega was being herded towards the stairs. She caught a glimpse of her brothers, giving her identical helpless grins. "I guess I'll see you at dinner!" she called, before she was ushered onto the stairs. Laughing to herself, she headed down to her room in the basement.

"Clara, a little light, if you don't mind," she asked the fire type as she neared the bottom of the steps.

"Mar," agreed the old magmar, and she spit an ember into the fireplace in the living space of the basement. "Ma," she snorted, blowing another ember into a small lantern.

"Thank you dear," Vega cooed, and she picked up the lantern and headed back to her bedroom. "Coral, I need you," she called to the wartortle on the rug before opening her door.

Small, with stone walls, and a twin sized bed, the room was perfect for the young trainer. Her washtub was in the corner. Coral headed right over and started filling the tub with warm water.

Vega stripped out of her dirty traveling clothes and threw them into her clothes bin. In the fire light, she checked her body over. No scrapes, only a few bruises from climbing down the tree, she noted. She traced her fingers over her tan skin, and ran them through her long, black hair. She turned sideways, and sighed. _I wish I could just take some of my ass, and put it up _**_here! _**she thought, allowing herself a petty teenage girl moment.

Her curves had always been nothing but a problem. It was easy for her mother to question why she had so many boys chasing after her, yet she never gave any of them a chance. It was easy for Vega to explain that they were after her booty, not her brain. But it was hard for her mother to understand why this _was_ a problem.

"Tortle," announced Coral proudly when she had finished running a bath. Vega sank comfortably into the steaming water, enjoying it for just a moment, before quickly washing herself and putting her last clean set of travel clothes on and heading back upstairs.

Her brothers and father were already eating. Her mom looked at her helplessly. "They were hungry and, well, you can't say no to a man when it comes to food!" Vega eagerly sat down at the table, enjoying her last home cooked meal for what could have been years.

She ate just as fast, if not faster, than her oldest brother. Her father looked at her with pride, her mother with disdain. "Could you at least try to eat like a lady?" was mumbled at least twice every meal, and it was met with smirks from all sides.

But this meal Vega had more on her mind than it just being her last. She was dreading the question that she knew was on everyone's mind. Jake's lucario Ken was sitting at the table eating with them, and he was a constant reminder of her failure, aside from the houndoom at her left eating from a bowl on the floor.

Vega swallowed hard and took a shaky drink of water. Brad took it as his cue: "So, what did you catch?" he asked bluntly. All eyes fixed on her.

She took another drink of water, and her family waited. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I... uh... well you see-"

"Let's see the beast!" roared Jake, and there were shouts of agreement from around the table. "Yes!" "Of course!" 'Lu lucario!"

Vega closed her eyes and dropped her head in defeat. She reached into her belt, and held up her red crystal. "Come on out."

Light flashed, and the chorus of voices suddenly stopped. She was instantly surrounded in utter silence. Vega kept her eyes and her red face aimed squarely at her hands folded in her lap.

It felt like hours passed, but finally someone spoke. It was Brad. "A caterpie?" he asked, quietly. Vega nodded, ashamed.

But he surprised her. "Dude that's awesome!" he cheered. She looked up, confused. He grinned at her. "I knew you liked a challenge, but raising a bug as your starter? Man, you have guts."

"And she's so cute, too!" her mother chimed in, holding out her hand. The green pokemon inched its way to her, and she scratched its head. "Aw! Maybe some of her sweet nature will rub off on you!"

Jake and her dad nodded approvingly as well. Vega looked around, confused. "But... it's so weak!"

"She," her mother corrected. "And strength isn't everything. There is more to life than being tough."

Vega started to argue, but was interrupted. "There are other ways to be strong, besides having physical strength," Jake said softly. She looked back at her caterpie. "Intelligence, stealth, agility, all of these things and more make great fighters. Fighting type pokemon use their physical strength, yes. But don't base your opinion of a pokemon on what it doesn't have when compared to another that is completely different. Base your opinion on what it does have, and how it can grow."

"Yeah, I guess I didn't think of it that way," she said, face burning again. Her brother always knew what he was talking about. He knew just what to say to make her rethink her own views. To make her feel sheepish.

"Well, what's her name?"

"Huh?" Vega asked, lost in thought.

Her mother gave her a look. "Her name," she repeated. "Surely you named her?"

Vega swallowed. "Um... I was going to..."

She got looks from all around the table. She swallowed again. _It feels like I'm in court, _she thought.

"What about..." her mom began.

"No!" Vega blurted. Her mother narrowed her eyes. "I mean, no, um," she backtracked. "I want to name her myself. Come here... you," she said lamely. The caterpie eyed her, fearful, but inched closer.

_The circumstances of this whole thing were so... wrong,_ she thought. I_ was supposed to catch a vulpix. And when I didn't I could have at least caught something cool... and I got a bug. And then I forgot to name it... and I treated it- her- wrong. So unlucky... just my luck,_ she thought. The bug had reached her arm. She reached out to scratch her. Her skin was soft and fuzzy.

Then, she got a great idea. "I'll call you Lucky," she announced, petting her partner more. She nuzzled up to Vega's palm, eyes closed in happiness.

_Maybe her new name will give her something to strive towards, _Vega thought comically.

After dinner, it was time to say goodbye. A bag with some clothes, basic survival supplies, some more red capture crystals, and a few other things, was slung on her back. She had on her thick hiking boots and her warm fur jacket. A sleeping bag was strapped to the outside of the bag, and strapped around her middle as well.

She stood near her front door, facing her family, ready to say her goodbyes. She knew that she would receive gifts from each of them, and she was trying to decide where she would fit them in her over-stuffed bag.

"The first, is from me," said her mother, keeping with tradition. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out a small pouch. She passed it to her daughter. "Gold coins, should last you about a year," she said to Vega's confused expression. She pulled her into one last giant hug. "No argument, accept the gift." All Vega could do was nod.

"And dear, don't forget to grab the torch from the wall as you leave," she said, smiling sadly.

"From me," Jake began. He pulled out a crystal from his belt.

Vega gasped. "A yellow crystal? But how..."

Jake held up his hand. "Don't ask questions. Let's just say it cost me a pretty penny at the black market. It isn't the purple one that I wanted to get you, but it's second best, and I hope that enough..."

Vega embraced him. "It's more than enough brother, thank you."

"And, from me," Brad said, his gift already out. An old roll of parchment was in his hands. He opened it, to reveal a detailed map of Rudan.

He shrugged. "The psychic who sold it to me said it is enchanted, but only if you are lost, whatever that means. Anyway, I haven't found anything special about it, but I figure you will need one to get wherever you're going." Vega nodded, and hugged him as well.

"And, last but not least," her father chuckled. She smiled, and turned to him. He held up something strange; an egg.

"An egg?" Vega questioned. "But how can I..."

"It will be good for you to have some real responsibility aside from loafing around on the road. Hatching an egg will be an excellent goal and motivator for you in these first few weeks," he said. His voice was powerful, and ended whatever argument she had in her throat.

"Plus, it will help with your motherly instinct!" her mother added. Vega suppressed a groan. She hugged her father, hesitantly.

"Don't worry, I think you'll like what's inside," he whispered so her mother couldn't hear. Vega allowed herself a small smile, but composed herself before she pulled away. She took the egg carefully, cradling it in her palms.

She bowed forward, completing the ceremony. "Thank you for these gifts that I will cherish on my leaving day. I will see you in the future when I shall be a better person and shall have started my own life."

She thought she saw her father wink at her before she turned. According to tradition, she was no longer allowed to look back. She opened the door, and, grabbing the torch from its mount outside, headed out into the night.

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Don't forget to review and let me know what you think of this newest story! Thanks for reading!


	3. Tournament

Sorry it always takes me so long to update. But I have not forgotten about ANY of my stories! College just takes up a lot of time. Enjoy!

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The first night was surprisingly the easiest. They were both exhausted when they decided to make camp. It was dry, there was a small cave for shelter, and she had her torch to start a campfire with. Sleep came easy, and she had even let Lucky out to curl up with her.

The next couple nights were not as simple. Vega was headed east, towards the Great Plain and the Flying Sect's major city- Aero. Aero was famous for its entertainment, especially its circus. The wide open spaces allowed for the permanent circus to stretch for miles. Many pokemon were trained for just this by the commoners, and the trainers offered up their best to the ring leader, and were paid a pretty sum if he liked what he saw. But this happened rarely, and so many times this get-rich-quick method ended in failure. Usually, it was the pokemon trained by the circus staff themselves that were allowed to perform, since they knew what they were doing and had a leg up in training.

Those of the Flying Sect were obsessed with speed, agility and grace, and the circus was their most famous showcase of that obsession.

Vega had made it out of Flaming territory several hours before the sun set. The change was dramatic. The tree line abruptly dropped to display a giant grassland, spanning for miles and miles, with seemingly no end, almost like an ocean. Travel became a lot quicker after that, without having to navigate through woods and climb trees to get her bearings. The ground was hard and dry, and the grasses brittle and stiff.

Lucky battled a few pokemon here and there, defeating those who stayed on the ground surprisingly easily. Ratatta and sentret were no match for her caterpie, and she was proud. Vega returned Lucky at any sign of a stalker bird pokemon, however. Those that passed over were no threat, but those that circled back around were quickly noted and accounted for. Besides the stray curious bird pokemon, however, it was pretty easy going.

But at night, without any sort of natural shelter, it became very cold and very dangerous. Wild pokemon would not go out of their way to attack something that was hidden or holed up, and would usually avoid a campfire. But Vega, lying in the wide open spaces with no cover, made a very easy target. She didn't sleep that night, staying up, keeping her eye out for wild scavengers, even after the wind had suffocated both her campfire and her torch. She was going to have to start making use of her flint.

In the morning, bending down and picking up her stuff, brushing the dust off of her clothes, Vega heard a loud screech. "Bluuuu!" She turned around to find a bird pokemon struggling but succeeding in carrying her Lucky away.

"Pie cater ca!" squealed Lucky, thrashing back and forth.

"Lucky!" she cried. Thinking quickly, she decided on an attack. "Um, use string shot on its wings!"

"Pie!" Lucky cried frantically. But a stream of sticky web shot out of her tail, wrapping the left wing of the pokemon and sending them both tumbling to the ground. Vega sprinted over to the crash site, and found Lucky on her side, struggling to rite herself, and the angry swablu tearing at the string tying its wing to its side.

Vega picked Lucky up and ran back to the campsite. She set her down and picked up her bag, and hooked the sleeping bag on. Just in time, too.

"Swablu!" cried the angry cotton terror, and it dove right at Lucky, pecking her right on her head.

"Caterpie..." she whined, and tried to inch away.

"No! Lucky, don't turn your back on..." The swablu landed another direct hit on her head. Lucky fell to the ground.

"No!" Vega cried, but something weird happened. Lucky glowed white for a second, and string began to come out of her tail, wrapping her body. Suddenly, a metapod sat in her place.

"Sweet." remarked Vega, shocked. She knew bug pokemon evolved fast, just not how fast.

"Okay, use harden!" she called.

"Pod," agreed Lucky, and her shell became more lustrous. Another peck landed, but this time the bird pokemon seemed to bounce off, hurting itself more than Lucky.

"Okay, wait for it to get close, then full force tackle!" Vega ordered. The swablu was already angled into another dive. Lucky waited until the last second, and then threw herself at the bird pokemon.

"Swa!" tweeted the swablu as it crashed into the ground. It strained and pushed itself to its feet with cottony wings. Breathing hard, it tried to take flight once more, but was struggling.

Vega reached into her bag and grabbed a cold red crystal. "You're mine!" she roared, and threw it with all her might. The bird dissolved into light, and was swallowed by the gem, where it pulsed wildly. Three bright flashed, and it subsided into a steady glow. Vega had caught her second pokemon.

Turned out that Sue was just as wild after being captured as she was in the wild. The first time she was released, she immediately tried to attack Lucky again.

"What- no! You are a team now you do not... hey!" Sue began pulling at Vega's hair instead. "Get... ugh! Lucky string shot!"

In a straight jacket made of silk, the little bird began licking her lips and panting. She eyed Lucky hungrily. "We do not eat teammates!" Vega repeated for the third time. She carefully cut the silk off of her wings. "Now it's about lunch time and..." Sue dove straight for Lucky as soon as her binds were cut. Vega wasted no time and sent her back to the crystal.

She rubbed her temple, at a loss. "Well, I guess we are eating without her."

"Meta," agreed Lucky thankfully.

After eating, Vega took extra precautions and sent Lucky back inside her crystal. She sent out Sue, who, instead of attacking, began pecking at the crumbs on the ground.

Vega face palmed. "You're hungry." She took out more of their rations and laid them in front of the bird. Eagerly, Sue ate and ate and ate like she hadn't eaten in days. And, like magic, she became sweet as could be. Sue was the nicest, cutest, sweetest thing; as long as she wasn't hungry (and hey, we all get like that sometimes, don't we?)

And so, the trio travelled on. Vega was constantly carrying the egg, and since Lucky could no longer ride on her shoulder, she usually stayed in her crystal. Sue floated along, letting the breeze carry her higher and higher into the open, cloudless sky.

So the next night they spent was better, but cold. The air was dry, and the wind that during the day was so welcoming, at night became their bane. Making a fire was impossible with the sparks from her flint being extinguished by the ever present breeze. She finally gave up, and just wrapped up in her sleeping bag. She knew that wild pokemon generally avoided fires, but she lost that hope and just prayed that Lucky and Sue would be enough to keep away the scavengers.

She looked her team over. Sue was sitting comfortably on the egg, chatting with Lucky (hopefully apologizing.) She was small and cute... and Lucky was, well, immobile. Vega groaned and threw herself back on the ground, pushing on her bag to find that soft spot to lay her head on. The stars were brighter in the wide open spaces of the Great Plain, and the moon was nearly as bright as the sun.

Vega groaned again and turned on her side, facing her pokemon. She resolved for her next capture to be something big. And intimidating. So maybe she could sleep at night. Finally she asked Sue to sing her to sleep, and once the little bird found the right pitch, she was out until morning.

The next day was easy travel. The ground was beginning a very slight upward slope, almost too small to notice. Vega only noticed because her legs could feel the extra burn that comes from hiking up a hill. Otherwise, the plains were flat and grassy as ever.

Lucky was becoming exceptionally good at targeting attacking bird pokemon with her string shot, pinning them to the ground so Sue could dispatch them with ease. Their little system worked consistently, and soon they were left alone by the scavengers who moved on to easier victims.

The bigger bird pokemon seemed to take little interest in them. Whatever mouthful that Lucky would provide was simply not worth their time. During lunch, Vega stiffened when a herd of dodrio ran past, but relaxed when she realized that they paid her no mind. The large bird pokemon seemed to simply enjoy running in the beautiful sunny weather.

And so they marched on eastward, the ground becoming harder and rockier, with sparser drier grasses. The pokemon found there changed too. The flat ground and dry air still fostered flying type pokemon, though now instead of swellow, pidgeotto, and

tranquill, they were finding skarmory, aerodactyl, and mandibuzz.

The sun had nearly set when Vega and her pokemon reached the end of the incline. The downward slope cast what laid before her in shadow. In the distance, she could see the outline of a city, with glittering torches increasing in number thanks to the impending darkness.

The three made camp next to a large rock, sitting at an angle at which it blocked the wind. Making a fire was easy, and Vega slept exceptionally well, compared to the last few nights anyway. Once again, there were no problems at night.

Vega rose early that morning, watching the sun rise over Aero in the distance. The city itself was impressive; there were many buildings, its diameter spanning miles. None of the buildings were tall, however, for the whipping winds of the Great Plains would not allow it.

The most impressive, however, were the colorful gigantic circus tents at the southern end of the city. There were three large tents, with smaller carnival stands and stages in between. The tents were organized in a triangle, so the crowds were perfectly balanced.

There was also forest to her right, in the distance behind the tent that created the southern point of the triangle. The beginnings of The Garden, her next destination.

Vega returned Lucky, but kept Sue on her shoulder while holding her egg. Having a flying type pokemon in the sect would earn her some respect, she hoped. Flying Sect members couldn't stand the Lightning or Stone Sects (even though the poor pacifist Stones didn't understand why,) and Vega was glad she didn't have any electric or rock types on her.

The city was loud and busy. Sue dug her talons into Vega's shoulders tighter, and while the young trainer winced, she didn't complain. She would have done the same thing.

She dove to the side, barely avoiding getting run over by a ponyta pulling a cart. "Watch yaself!" barked the driver, almost running over another unlucky victim. Vega shook her head and regained her bearings, patting her shoulder to make sure Sue was still situated. She continued on.

Overall, the city was nice, but so overcrowded. Vega reached a courtyard near the center of the city that was packed with people. The crowd was centered around a man in a top hat, with a murkrow on his shoulder. They looked so similar, it was almost comical.

"The new proclamation, from the imperial administration, and the head of intelligence, Arthur P. Emerson himself!" The crowd quieted down as the man spoke, flourishing his arms dramatically, the murkrow mimicking his actions perfectly. A few people giggled.

"The kind lady our Queen Cecilia has decided to... step down!" He spoke, shocked, clearly reading the piece of parchment himself for the first time. "There will be a tournament... any peoples who can defeat the eight designated Lords in each Sect's temple, and collect the eight symbols of each, will be allowed to participate in a tournament in one year's time to take the Queen's throne as King. Only men may participate, best of luck to you all."

He probably said more, but the murmurs of the crowd were too much for Vega to hear. If she had wanted to hear. Her dreams had been quashed as soon as she heard those fateful words; "Only men may participate..."

It wasn't fair. Her whole life had been defined by being a woman. She was expected to do certain things, act a certain way, be someone who she wasn't. And now, she is thrust into life at a most opportune time, and told she cannot make the most of it because... _because what? _she thought. _Because I have breasts?_

Frustrated and defeated, she moped her way back down the street, towards the local tavern. She returned Sue and, holding her egg tight, opened the doors.

The smell of body odor and alcohol assaulted her nostrils. _Perfect,_ she grimaced, and marched towards the bar. She ordered a vodka and aguave berry juice, and sipped quietly, walling herself off from the world in her own little bubble.

Moping was an art, and Vega was one of the best. Not only did she mope, but she hid it well too. _The whole world is going to be out there watching this tournament, _she thought, _and I'm going to be, what, looking for a good husband? Oh no, I'll show them. _

She was ordering her second drink (okay, third) when a group of guys entered the tavern, gossiping excitedly like teenage girls.

"Jack, you're so cool. I mean, to get chosen to be their Champion? Wow you must be really good!" chattered one of the boys, who looked younger than the other three.

"Yeah, I am pretty good I guess," the one named Jack yawned, cocky as can be.

"Yeah, the Flying Sect sure has a King with you, you're gonna win it all!" said another one of the guys, this one was big, but dumb at the same time.

"Don't worry boys, when I'm King, there will be room for all of you in my castle. Ay waiter, why doncha bring a couple rounds over to your future King!" Jack snapped his fingers at the waitress who was helping another table. As she passed, he slapped her on the behind. She stiffened, but kept walking.

Vega was steaming at this point, doing everything she could to hold her tongue, and her egg. She swiveled in her barstool, towards the table of loud mouthes.

"Excuse me, boys," she said, excruciatingly sweet. "Would you kindly explain to me what a Champion is?" She batted her eyes.

"Well you see- oof!" the fourth boy began. He was taller and skinnier than the rest, and folded neatly in half when Jack elbowed him in the stomach.

"Well you see," began Jack, giving him a look. He turned back towards Vega. "I am gonna to represent the Flying Sect in the tournament of our Queen Cecilia. All of the Sects are choosin' champions, and I jus' happened to be the strongest Birdie in all of Flying." He reached behind his head, flexing his arms not so subtly.

Vega resisted a groan. "Sounds exciting. Too bad a poor, helpless girl like me can't enter the tournament." She turned back towards the bar disgusted.

But not fast enough. "Yeah, as if a girl would have any chance anyway," snorted Jack, and his followers snickered.

Furious, Vega got up and headed over towards the tavern owner. "How much for a room here for the night?" she asked politely.

The fat, grease covered man gave her a look, lingering a little too long on certain areas. "We don't rent out to females," he said gruffly.

Vega had about had enough. She reached into her bag, and pulled out her pouch of gold coins. She took out a single gold piece, and handed it over to the owner.

"Would this be enough for a 'female' to room?" It took all of her effort not to throw the coin at him and screech every word she said.

"Uh, uh, of course my lady. More than enough. Let me find some change," he stumbled over his words. He sprinted (a steady jog for his size) behind the bar, and scraped the register clean of silver coins. He brought them over to Vega. "This is all I have, is it enough for change?" he asked her, sweeter than cherry pie.

Vega grabbed the coins, disgusted, not even bothering to count. "It's fine," she mumbled, and snatched the room key out of his hand.

"Is there anything else we can get you, my lady?" he asked as she headed up the stairs.

"A medical kit," she called back down, and slammed her room door shut.

The exchange between the tavern owner and Vega had been quite loud, and there were hungry, desperate eyes watching the young trainer who had too many gold coins for her own good as she ascended the stairs. One set in particular fingered his belt knife as he watched her slam the tavern room door, taking careful note of the room number.

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Review and favorite! I am loving the way this story is turning out.


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